"We do a local scholarship for every chapter nationwide," said Besancenez. "As long as they graduate to further their education. We have given more than $4 million so far nationwide in scholarships. Around $30,000 in Missouri each year."

The National Wild Turkey Federation is a national nonprofit conservation and hunting organization that, along with its volunteers, partners and sponsors, has worked for the conservation of the wild turkey and preservation of our hunting heritage. When the NWTF was established in 1973, there were only 1.3 million wild turkeys. Today that number stands at more than seven million birds.

Aldrich is grateful for what the NWTF does on conservation and other aspects.

"I think that it is great, we have had turkeys on our property that didn't use to be there," he said. "The NWTF has been doing quite a bit of bringing them into Newton and McDonald counties."